Former Greenwich superintendent returns to the job

View full sizeBob Suessmuth. Photo taken from the Greenwich Township school district website.

GREENWICH TWP. — When school board officials faced the task of replacing an outgoing superintendent, who departed earlier this year in the aftermath of a controversial YouTube video, they wanted someone similar to Bob Suessmuth, their last superintendent.

Eventually, they just got Bob Suessmuth.

“He’s perfect,” said Greenwich Township Board of Education President Rosanne Lombardo. “As a part-time superintendent, he comes in, does what he needs to do, and then leaves when he’s done.

“After what happened, we really wanted to go back to a part-time superintendent. I think this is the way that all small school districts are going to go.”

Suessmuth may be perfect in Lombardo’s eyes, but he’s also temporary.

Suessmuth served as a part-time superintendent in Greenwich for 19 months until early 2010, when the school board opted to make the switch to a full-time superintendent, who would also serve as principal of Broad Street School.

Although he still had four months left on his contract at the time, Suessmuth, already retired, had no desire to work full-time and instead stepped down early.

Vincent Tarantino was then brought in to fill the positions. However, the board of education in April chose not to renew his contract after the release of an audio recording of what school board members said was Tarantino and former board members Alan Boultinghouse and Jim Worrell insulting district parents, the town’s Democratic Party and other board members.

The conversation is audible at the end of the tape-recorded Feb. 23 school board meeting.

Suessmuth will now fulfill his four remaining months and serve as superintendent until Oct. 31, for $480 per day.

“I was very happy and willing to do it,” said Suessmuth, 69. “When they asked, I didn’t hesitate.

“I was able to come in and, since I already know most of the people, I was able to hit the ground running.”

Lombardo’s happy for that.

“He’s already filled some vacancies, and he’s helping us find his eventual replacement,” she said. “We’re going to be keeping it a part-time position, but we’re also looking at things like shared services — perhaps sharing a superintendent with another district.”

The board of education president stated a Gloucester County school district has approached Greenwich officials about sharing a superintendent. However, Lombardo declined to name the district, stating only that is was not neighboring Paulsboro.

“[Their superintendent] is a very busy guy,” she said.

“The only thing you have to be careful of with shared services, is if you’re the sharing district, you could be playing second fiddle if there’s an emergency at the other district.”

The school board has also hired a new Broad Street School principal — former Salem school district educator Jacquelyn Traini.

Traini’s contract is for 10 months and 10 days, with an $85,000 yearly salary.